Apparatus for extinguishing fires in cotton bales



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III/A gnueu foqg ard is on Feel e7 w. LIENHARD ET AL Filed August 29 APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN COTTON BALES Sept. 14 1926.

Sept. 14 1926.

W. LIENHARD ET AL APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN COTTON BALES gin um 1015 a r W W 5 M 7 WK a 2 i 3 I L Y j H W H ,v m A Z 45, 7 1% M, Q Q4 m w a 0 //F M J M A 2% 3 7 4 f 4 7 Patented Sept. 14, 1926..

1,599,826 FICE.

WILLIAM LIENHARD, James W. ALBnR'rsoN, AND Joniw o.

. TEXAS.

nncxnn, or MISSION,

arrnnarus ronnxrmeuisnme FIRES IN common nuns.

' Application filed August 29, 1925. Serial No. 53,318.

This invention relates to apparatus for extinguishing fires in cotton bales whether these fires be internal or external.

An important object of the invention is to provide'a device of this character which will operaterapidly and into which the cotton bale maybe readily inserted;

A further and more specific-object of the invention is to provide a container in which the cotton'bale may be placed together with means for first subjecting the bale while within the container to the quenching action of water and then to the extinguishing action of a vacuum.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily and cheaply produced and operated and which will be a general improvement in the art.

These and other objects we attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention and wherein Figurel is a View in section of a fire extinguishing apparatus constructed in accordance'with our invention, the parts being shown with a bale in position and ready to be sealed by lowering of the hood;

Figure 2 is a View of the rosette employed for sprinkling the bale and for filling the container;

Figure 3 is a plan view of theapparatus; Figure/4 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 but with the arts in position for performing the extinguishing operation. Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a suit-' able base which may consist of the floor of a warehouse or platform upon which cotton bales are disposed. Arranged upon this platform is a bale support comprising a ase plate 11 upon which is arranged a perforated rack 12 adapted to receive and support a cotton bale 13. The plate is provided about its edges with a gutter 14, the center of which is provided with a gasket seat 15 for the reception of a gasket 16 of any suitable character.

A water supply pipe 17 having arranged therein a valve 18 is preferably disposedbcneath the base 10 and has-an upturned end portion 19 projectin upwardly through the base 10 and base phate 11 and is provided upon its upper end arranged above the base plate witha funnel mouth 20,

the urpose of which will presently appear. pipe 21 having arranged therein a valve 22 and a check valve 23 opens through the base plate 11 at its intake end and at its exhaust end communicates-with an exhaust pump 25 which-may be of any suitable character.

Arranged in spaced relation about the base plate 11 and extending'vertically upward from the base 10 are T iron supports 26, the upper ends of which are connected waste and suitably braced to one another, asindicated at 27. These braces combine to form a top structure to which is secured a pair of supporting rails 28, the ends of which project to one side of the top structure. Be-

tween these railsare rotatably mounted a pair of sheaves 29 and 30, the sheave 29 being arranged so that its perimeter approxiz'nates the center of the base plate 11 and the sheave 30 being arranged between .the extended endportion's of the rails. Be-.

tween the supports 26 is arranged an open bottom" drum 31, the bottom and side wallsof which are provided with an outstanding flange 32 and the side walls of which are provided with outwardly projecting mountings 33 having rollers 34 en aging the stem 7 of the .T iron supports so t at the drum is guided from these supports. The closed top of the drum is provided with a ring 35 or other suitable means for attaching there; to a cable 36 which passes over the sheaves 29 and 30 and has attached to its free end a counter-balanced weight 37 rendering manual manipulation' of the drum to elevate or lower the same possible.

Arranged in the top of the drum and supported therefrom' is a rosette 38 comprising a central header 39 and a plurality of arms 40 radiating from this header provided at spaced points with discharge openings 41. The outer ends of all but one of the arms 40 are closed, as at 42, and this arm communicates with a vertically extending pipe or conduit 43,'the lower end of.

which is provided with, a taper 44 corresponding to the taper of the funnel 20. This pipe aligns" with the funnel and when the.

drum is lowered fits. into the'funnel and has a relatively tight joint therewith. The

ders or wedges \46 which, when the drum is in lowered position, receive the ends of levers 47 pivoted to the uprights 26 to assist in maintaining the drum in lowered position. Means are provided for supplying water to the trough 14 comprising a conduit 48 communicating with the conduit 17 and havin a valve 49 arranged therein. This conduit as its upper end arranged to discharge into the trough 14 without interfering with movement of the flange 32 of the drum into and out of this trough.

In the use of the device, a cotton bale in which fire is present or suspected is placed upon the rack 12 and the drum 31 lowered into position so that its flange 32 rests upon the gasket 16 in the trough 14. The drum is secured in its lowered position by the levers 47 and in this position, the conduit 17 is in communication with the conduit 43. At this time, the valve 22 is closed and the valves 18 and are opened. The valve 18 permits water to pass upwardly through the conduit 43 to be discharged by the rosette downwardly upon the bale, air escaping from the drum through they valve .45. Water is preferably admitted to the trough 14 to cover the flange 32 and insure an air tight seal at this point. The inlet of water is continued until the drum is filled after which the pump 25 is started and the valves 45 and 18" closed while the valve 22 is opened. Action of the pump continues untilthe water is exhausted from the drum and since the drum is sealed by the closing of the valves 18 and 45, a vacuum will result within the drum of sufiicient intensity to insure that after a short period, fire in' the bale will fail for want of air to support combustion- After the proper period, the vacuum is released by opening the valve 45 and the levers 47 are disengaged so that the drum may be raised and the bale removed at which time the apparatus is ready for repetition of the foregoing operation.

It will be obvious that a device of this character provides a ready and efficient means for extinguishing the external or internal fires in cotton bales and may be ecouomically produced and maintained in operation. It will furthermore be obvious that the construction 'hereinbefore set forth is obviously capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention and we accordingly do not limit ourselves to such specific structure except as hereinafter claiined- We claim 1. In apparatus for extinguishing fires in cotton bales, a container of capacity to house a cotton'bale and havin an opening of sufiicient size to receive sai bale, means for sealing said container, means for introducing water to the container to fill the same and means for exhausting the water from the container in its sealed state to produce a vacuum therein.

2. Means for extinguishing fires in cotton bales and the like comprising a base plate upon which the bale may be arranged, means coacting with the base plate to produce a sealed housing enclosing the bale and means for introducing water to the housing and permitting escape of air therefrom and means for exhausting water from the casing after filling of the casing to thereby produce a vacuum within the casing.

3. In a device of the type described, a base plate, a drum movable toward and away from the base plate; means for sealing the drum to the base plate, means for introducing water to the upper end of the drum, a manually operable valve in the upper end of the drum and an exhaust ump communicating with the drum throug the base plate when the drum and base plate are in sealing P si o V 4. In a device of the type described, a base plate, 'a drum movable toward and away from the base plate, means for sealing the drum to the base plate, means for introducing water to the upper end of the drum, a manually operable valve in the upper end of the drum and an exhaust pump communicating with the drum through the base plate when the drum and base plate are in sealing position, the base plate being pro vided about its edges with a gutter, the drum having a flange entering the gutter, the gutter having agasket engaging the flange to effect a seal therewith.

5. In a device of the type described a base plate, a drum movable toward and away from the base plate, means for sealing the drum to the base plate, means for introducing water to the upper end of the drum, a manually operable valve in'the upper end of the drum and an exhaust pump communicating with the drum through the base plate when the drum and base plate are in sealing position, the base plate being provided about its edges with a gutter, the drum having a flange entering the gutter the gutter having a gasket engaging the flange to effeet a sealtherewith and means for roviding a water seal about the flange wit in the gutter.

6. In a device of the type described, a base plate, a drum movable toward and away from the base plate, means for sealing the drum to the base plate, means for introducing water to the upper end of the drum including a rosette secured within the drum at the upper end thereof, a conduit directed through the base plate and in communication with a source of Water, said conduit having a conical "upper endand a conduit communicating with the rosette at its upper end and having at its lower end the tapered from the base plate,

section for coaction with said pipe when the dfum is in sealing engagement with the base ate. p 7. In a device of the type described, a base plate, a drum movable toward and away means for sealing the drum to the base plate, means for introducing water to the upper end of the drum, a manually operable valve in the upper end of the drum, an exhaust pump communicating with the drum through the base plate when the drum and base plate are in sealing position, a supporting structure for the drum and means upon the supporting structure for locking the drum against movement 1 away from the base plate when in engagement with the base ate.

8. The method of extinguishing fires in cotton bales consisting in placing the bale within a container, filling the container with to water, sealing the same and exhausting the water from the contalner to produce a vacuum therein;

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

WILLIAM LIENHARD. JAS. 'W. ALBERTSON. JOHN G. DECKER. 

